Firm-Level Understandability on Sustainable Business Practices among export-oriented firms in Nepal

Sustainable business practices (SBPs) offerseveral positive outcomes for the firms and alongside firms are receiving significant level of support at policy level and operational level from different partners. Despite this, the adoption has been low and lack of understandability of SBPs among the firms has been identified as one of the probable causes for low adoption. This study makes an attempt to explore the understandability of SBPs among the export-oriented small and medium level enterprises (SMEs) in terms of “input-process-expected outcomes” model. This model simply identifies what the firms are doing, how the firms are doing, and why the firms are doing in the issue of sustainability. Through the thematic analysis of interview transcripts of six respondents in first phase and eight respondents in second phase, several insights on inputs, process and expected outcomes has emerged. These respondents were either owners or managers at senior management level and has a long experience of working in export-business. The firms have taken several initiatives in the theme of environmental sustainability, social well-being, economic development, and ethical practices with an expected outcomes as satisfying the personal values, market opportunity, premium pricing of products, competitive advantage in the foreign market etc. These findings assist the policymakers to understand the barriers to lower adoption of SBPs and take policy measures to offer appropriate support to the firms and improve the level of adoption among the SMEs.